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41 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another helpful book in the Missing Manual series, November 27, 2009
This review is from: Photoshop Elements 8 for Mac: The Missing Manual (Paperback)
Author Barbara Brundage is no stranger to anyone who has previously read a book on Photoshop Elements or has visited the Adobe Elements user forum. Thanks to her and the entire concept of the "missing" series for jobs well done. Picking up the book for the first time will have you eager to delve further into both the program and the book as you read different ways to accomplish things and see new features in the software. There are almost always several different approaches to editing methods and all will be explained, yielding perhaps different and more efficient methods for you.
If you are a beginner to Elements you will greatly appreciate this manual for clear explanations and profuse cross referencing. One will be tempted to skip ahead (and often need to go back and study something in more detail.) The thoughtful and frequent cross referencing makes it possible and increases the value and usefulness of the book.
Adobe Bridge CS4 is included in PSE v8 for the Mac and covered extensively enough so that a new user can employ Bridge in its most useful ways. Bridge, we are taught, gives more intricate control of opening RAW files than does Elements itself. In a similar way iPhoto is covered and one can learn the strengths of using Bridge or iPhoto to advantage.
The printed words are dark enough and easy to read--no skimping on ink in this book--but the illustrations are also dark and often rather obscure. While the paper used feels substantial and the book's binding strong, perhaps the paper is not the best for photographs and obliterates some details. More readers may see the need for the missing cd available and explained in the book. The index is useful and seems comprehensive, one of the hallmarks in my opinion of a well done book.
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33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Photoshop Elements 8 for Mac; Barbara Brundage, December 10, 2009
This review is from: Photoshop Elements 8 for Mac: The Missing Manual (Paperback)
Mac users have patiently waited a long time for Adobe's latest release of Photoshop Elements. They won't be disappointed. The program has been vastly improved with several inspiring new features.
But alas, with no written documentation readily readable-- just online help; it's hard to understand how to work the new improvements without doing extensive trial and error.
Enter Brundage's treatise on how the program works. She makes it simple and you seem to can't wait to try the new features on your own. She explains in detail and gives you many examples.
You may find yourself nodding as read the book as she simplifies many of the tasks of editing digital photos. She just explains things simply and so well. This is the mission of The Missing Manual Series.
Early she begins with Finding Your Way Around Elements-- the new stuff that's been added is explained and there are plenty of pictures and snapshots of the program to fully explain what's new and what has been retained and what's been enhanced.
I especially liked The Quick Fix chapter: Many of my fellow amateur photographers will pay great attention to this chapter since it is the simple fix that fellow photographers are typically after. Adjusting skin tones really works well and makes our subject look real human.
Another chapter of interest is Basic Image Retouching. This is the heart of the program and where it shines. The topics are simple and very far reaching in digital imaging. For me when I use my point and shoot camera I find that I have exposure problems. Not sure why- but I do. The book explains how to use simple tools to greatly enhance my photos.
Many of you who use iPhoto will want to have the Photoshop Elements 8 on board on your Mac. iPhoto and Elements 8 work together and you can move within both programs fairly simply. Your photos will be the beneficiary of how both programs can works almost seamlessly. Brundage shows you how to do this with aplomb.
The book has wonderful examples of problem photos and how Elements 8 can fix them. The before and after examples are truly striking. The detailed explanations are really helpful. Soon thereafter you're anxious to attack your own flawed pics with the program's help.
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33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
*THE* PSE8 refence manual ... but tutorial impact hobbled by substandard 'Missing CD' work-alongs, December 16, 2009
This review is from: Photoshop Elements 8 for Mac: The Missing Manual (Paperback)
Recently installed PSE8 (for Mac), and had hoped to master its latest functions and commands with Brundage's superb common-sense guidance packed in her "Missing Manual" series. As we have come to expect, the book is complete and comprehensive without being overwhelming, making for a pleasant read with its subtle humor; it retains its standing as 'THE Elements Bible' to get answers to buried menu commands in crystal clear words . Brundage certainly is eminently qualified to share her in-depth understanding of graphics software, witness her patient help and sharp insight on Adobe's Elements forums. As a user-friendly reference, this book readily qualifies for that rare 5-star seal of approval.
Slipping though, is the book's impact as a common sense tutorial. Not that the writing isn't first class, but rather because of lack of a quality [ie, better than web thumbnails] "Missing CD"; all the more because the pulpy paper takes colored inks poorly. This becomes painfully evident when turning to the well-written 'Table Setting' layers tutorial, recycling the same long-in-the tooth images as those of versions past, with a 525x500 blown-out 'Table' background layer, and an even coarser, pitifully pixelated, 'Silverware' image. It's a shame that the lucid exploration of Element's 'Lighting Effects' filter was shortchanged for lack of a companion tryout image. That is: the author's website needs updating, pruning and tighter integration with the book's chapters ... frankly I'd rather pay two more bucks (and add two stars to the tutorial rating) for a high quality CD insert so as to get a 5-star tutorial along with the 5-star reference manual.
In short: highly recommended as THE complete PSE8 reference bible; but am less enamored of the book's impact as a newbie tutorial, mainly for lack of worthy work-along photos ... it's like reading an algebra textbook without to-the-point exercises.
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